THE WAYFARER Jan-Feb 2010
Published on January 25, 2010
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January-February 2010
Vol 19 Issue 1
The WAYFARER
NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
Publisher: Helen Hernandez
Editor-in-Chief: Dan Schlossberg
Contributing writers: Carla Rupp, Susan Hallett, Christine Tibbetts
3579 East Foothill Blvd., #744, Pasadena, CA 91107-3119
Published bimonthly
Fax 201-791-3349 or e.mail dan@natja.org
THE WAYFARER is the official newsletter of the North American Travel Journalists Association. Opinions expressed by columnists do not represent official policy of the organization.
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Wayfarer Table of Contents
Published on January 25, 2010
January - February Edition
Page 1
NATJA's 2010 Conference
Early Reno Registrants Save $$$
About Reno's Atlantis Resort
Reno's Rich Legacy
Expanded No-Fly List
Editor's Note
Member News
Trips for Members
Page 2
The Prez Box
Tibs Travel
Carla's Corner
Hotel Chat
CONFERENCE FORMAT
Published on January 25, 2010
Speakers, seminars
top agenda in Reno
The eigthth annual NATJA conference, scheduled for Reno in May, will provide a forum for both travel journalists and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to exchange ideas and information.
This year’s annual meeting will give both sides a chance to “Win Big in Reno,” known as The Biggest Little City in the World.
The 2010 conference, to be held at the Atlantis Casino Spa Resort, will feature professional development seminars in the morning, local sightseeing in the afternoon, and social networking each evening. That was the format followed in all seven previous conventions.
Helen Hernandez, NATJA’s CEO, said both travel journalists and DMOs will find plenty of material to mine in the Sierra Nevada setting.
“The conference will focus on professional development panels that address winning big through getting promoted, getting published, and getting paid,” she said. “For travel professionals, we’ll provide workshops on successful social media compaigns, how to attract the right writers, measuring the value of public relations and marketing, plus our popular marketplace.”
She said the organization is thrilled to be coming to the Reno/Tahoe area – the first western venue chosen by NATJA for its conference – and to share its beauty with both members and guests.
The conference begins with an opening night dinner on Tuesday, May 11, ends with a farewell dinner on Thursday, May 13, and features a travel media marketplace and a half-dozen prominent speakers of interest to both writers and publicists.
The list includes Peter C. Yesawich, chairman and CEO of the Orlando-based Ypartnership, known worldwide for its leadership in predicting travel trends; Jeffrey Lehman, Emmy-winning host of Weekend Explorer on PBS; guidebook writer Christopher P. Baker, winner of the 2008 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year award; writer/photographer Lee Foster, who will address the new concept of travel apps; and award-winning travel journalist Peter Rose, a writer, editor, lecturer, college professor, and long-time NATJA member.
Workshops are scheduled for both travel journalists and DMOs. Because some seminars overlap, conference participants will have to decide which to attend.
Special panels for organization members (CVBs, PR firms, DMOs, and other suppliers) will include Successful Use of Social Media, Measuring the Value of PR and Marketing, and Successful E-Press Kits, Media Trips, and Choosing Qualified Writers.
For media members, the theme is “Get published. Get promoted. Get paid.” Panels pertaining to those themes will include:
1. Making Money with New Media: E-pubs, Apps, and Web Video
2. Blogging and Social Networking: Build Your Brand, Grow Your Audience
3. The Big Payback: Using the New NATJA Web Tools to Build Your Business
4. Integrating Photography and Video to Triple the Value of Your Submission
5. Specialty Publishing: What is Out There and How to Submit
6. Editor’s Pitch Slam: Tips and Trials
All panels are open to all conference participants.
Details of pre and post-conference FAMs are still pending.
Previous NATJA conferences have been held in Newport, RI; Chicago; Santa Fe; Stowe, VT; Little Rock, AR; Oklahoma City; and Cleveland.
For further information, see www.natja.org, e.mail helen@natja.org, or call 626-376-9754.
EARLY BIRD RENO REGISTRANTS SAVE $$$
Published on January 25, 2010
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Early sign-ups provide discounts
on Reno conference registration
Want to save money on registration for the Reno conference? Try the early-bird special.
Although the regular conference fee is $600 for NATJA media members, those who sign up by Feb. 15 will be charged only $379. Those who sign up from Feb. 16-March 15 will be charged $444, while the final early-bird discount of $499 will be available from March 16-April 12.
For travel professionals and media non-members, the early-bird discounts are $479 by Feb. 15, $549 by March 15, and $599 by April 12. The price after April 12 is $700.
CVBs wishing to exhibit at the Marketplace can find the information at www.natja.org/conference.
Registration fees for all attendees include three hotel nights at Atlantis Casino Spa Resort; local sightseeing tours; all meals; professional development seminars; and the annual travel media marketplace.
NATJA will make hotel arrangements and send confirmations prior to the mid-May conference.
Registration forms are available online at www.natja.org.
ABOUT ATLANTIS
Published on January 25, 2010
1000-room Atlantis Casino
to host NATJA conference
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, a plush 1,000-room property with proximity to Reno’s airport, will host the 2010 NATJA conference.
The award-winning resort features eight dining choices, from Manhattan deli to New England seafood, plus a newly-designed concierge tower where guests receive complimentary breakfast and afternoon hors d’oeuvres. The view of the Sierra Nevadas from the concierge lounge, the only one in town, is the best offered by any Reno hotel.
Guest rooms feature 42-inch flat-screen TVs, coffee-makers, and high-speed internet access.
Atlantis has indoor and outdoor pools, a full-service spa, a non-smoking gaming area, including a smokefree poker room. Also on site are Race & Sports Book, numerous bars and lounges, free cabaret entertainment. The resort has been cited as the home of the loosest slots in Reno as well as the home of the friendliest dealers. It was also named “best place to gamble” in a recent poll.
Atlantis offers free shuttle service from the airport, three miles away.
For further information, see www.AtlantisCasino.com or call toll-free 800-994-5900.
RENO'S RICH LEGACY
Published on January 25, 2010
Reno’s rich legacy
offers many stories
Although Reno lacks the glitz and glamor of its better-known neighbor to the south, the Northern Nevada gambling mecca is everything Las Vegas isn’t.
In a nutshell, it offers more room to breathe, with fewer people, lighter traffic, and resorts sprinkled across a valley surrounded by the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains.
A recreational paradise in any season, Reno is 42 miles from Squaw Valley, 30 miles from the state capital of Carson City, and 22 miles northeast of Lake Tahoe.
Named for Union General Jesse Lee Reno, a Civil War fatality, Reno sprang to life in 1868 after the arrival of Central Pacific Railroad crews building east to meet the Union Pacific in the first transcontinental railroad. Four years later, tracks of the Virginia and Truckee reached Reno, giving the town another lifeline. Geography helped too, with Sacramento only 135 miles west and San Francisco within 225 miles.
Even before trains arrived, commerce boomed – thanks to the discovery of gold in nearby Virginia City, which sits on the Comstock Lode at an altitude of 6,200 feet, and the subsequent silver bonanza [$700 million of ore mined in 26 years]. To this day, Nevada still ranks third in gold production, trailing only South Africa and Australia.
Visitors still hope for a lucky strike, though they now pull slot machine levers instead of pick axes. Although resident population is only 217,000, with another 90,000 in nearby Sparks,
Reno’s reach is universal.
A famous downtown welcome arch rightfully calls Reno “the biggest little city in the world.” The home of the Harrah’s casino empire, it was known for mining, mayhem, liberal divorce laws, and occasional earthquakes before evolving into a smaller version of Vegas.
What makes Reno different is its plethora of open spaces. From the concierge tower of the Atlantis Casino Spa Resort, for example, guests can see the downtown skyline, the airport runways, and the mountains where winter stalled the wagons of the ill-fated Donner Party in 1846.
Downtown attractions range from the National Bowling Stadium to the National Automobile Museum, with a myriad of casinos that offer the same mix of machines and entertainment that make Las Vegas so popular. There are 78 lanes in the bowling stadium, 220 classic cars in the automobile museum, and 10,000 years of history in the Nevada Historical Society Museum.
Reno’s cowboy heritage hasn’t disappeared into the dustbin of history; there’s an annual June cattle drive [June 13-17, 2010] involving 300 cows, 100 miles, and 5 days.
Reno’s recreational pursuits range from skiing in winter to hiking, biking, and fishing in summer. Despite its sitting in a high desert valley, the town is divided by water – the Truckee River runs through downtown – and surrounded by it, with Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake popular summer destinations for boaters, windsurfers, and jet-ski enthusiasts.
The Truckee, fed by melting snow from the Sierras, flows 110 miles northeast from Lake Tahoe through Reno and Sparks en route to Pyramid Lake. It not only supplies fodder for photo buffs but supports the Cui-ui, a fish found nowhere else in the world, as well as cutthroat trout.
The 1905 Virginia Street Bridge is hardly the oldest structure in town; Masonic Hall (1872) and the locomotive house (1889) have it beat, while the Lane Building (1906) and the Lincoln Hotel and St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral (both 1907) come close.
When the weather warms, rafts and kayaks cavort in the six-year-old whitewater park on the Truckee not far from the downtown ballpark home of the Triple-A Reno Aces, entering their second season in 2010. The PGA Tour stops in Reno every year [the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open] and the U.S. Bowling Congress brings its championships to town once every third year.
Visitors arrive daily from San Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas, larger cities to the west and south, by trains, planes, and automobiles that climb photogenic mountain passes above Lake Tahoe.
The largest alpine lake in North America, Tahoe embraces 71 miles of shoreline – photogenic in any season. Paddlewheel cruises are popular in summer, with dog-sledding a wintry alternative.
Almost as big an attraction as the lake is Virginia City, the one-time richest place on the planet where Mark Twain launched his literary career [his desk, chair, and books are on display at The Territorial Enterprise]. At 60-90 minutes, the ride on the historic steam train is considerably longer than the quick hop south from Reno. Virginia City has mine tours, trolley tours, a radio museum, a history center, and something aptly called “The Way It Was” museum.
To learn more, contact www.RenoTahoeVisitor.com or www.atlantiscasino.com.
EXPAND NO-FLY LIST
Published on January 25, 2010
Safeguard Safety in the Skies:
Expand Terrorist ‘No-Fly’ List
To make Americans safer from terrorist attacks aimed at aviation, the national no-fly list needs to be expanded dramatically.
So say the top executives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization with more than 400,000 member families in the U.S.
“Six-and-a-half decades after the Holocaust, there are 50,000 Nazis on the Justice Department’s watch list,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Los Angeles-based institution. “How can there be only 3,400 identifiable terrorists on the Homeland Security watchlist?”
Both Hier and fellow rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the center, sent a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano...
EDITOR'S NOTES
Published on January 25, 2010
EDITOR’S NOTES
Deadline approaching in Canadian competition
The 13th annual Northern Lights Awards for Excellence in Travel Journalism and Photography is open to magazines, newspaper, or independent journalists, as well as internet contributors. Entries in both English and French are welcomed. Awards of $600, $400, and $200 US, respectively, will be given at Canada Media Marketplace ‘10 in San Francisco April 13 after judging by Missouri School of Journalism faculty members. With a Feb. 16 deadline for entries, see http://www.canadamediamarket.org/exhibitors/northern_rules.asp or http://www.canadamediamarket.org/images/northern_entry.pdf. . .
The sixth annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley will be held Feb. 16-19. Registration for the four-day program costs $475. See www.winewriterssymposium.org . . .
Travel journalists who register in advance may attend...
MEMBER NEWS
Published on January 25, 2010
MEMBER NEWS
Writers report moves, promotions, new projects
Former executive director Elizabeth Barnes Beshear has relocated from L.A. to Dallas . . .
Leigh Cort is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Florida-based public relations firm . . .
Toronto-based freelancer May Georgina DeLory, who has started a blog at Wordpress, invites NATJA members to check out her website, http://maydelory.wordpress.com/ . . .
Dave G. Houser earned a bronze award in the grand award voting for 2009 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year. The New Mexico freelancer has won two previous awards, in 1986 and 1992, in the history of the 25-year-old Lowell Thomas competition . . .
Maureen A. Hennessy of Portland, OR has been awarded an MS degree and is considering pursuing a PhD. The author of How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing, Hennessy has written for Good Housekeeping, First for Women, Distinctly Northwest, and many other publications. She is now writing a new book of travel essays . . .
Ann Terry Hill co-authored Pendleton Roundup at 100: Oregon’s Legendary Rodeo, an illustrated history released last summer. Hill’s book, which contains 900 photos, was co-authored by Michael Bales . . .
Long-time Canadian member Maureen Littlejohn of Toronto went to Dubai for Convene magazine, saw the just-opened Burj Dubai skyscraper, and experienced a desert safari complete with dune jeep chases and bellydancing. She later went to Richmond, B.C. for the same magazine and bladed around the new Olympic Oval (the speed skating venue). Littlejohn covered Ontario motorcycle tours for the Toronto Star, adventure travels in Sedona for Adventura magazine, and the new Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale . . .
Another author of a new volume is Janice McDonald, whose Historic Walking Guides: Bruges was published by Destin World of London. Published last summer, it will be re-launched this spring . . .
Cleo Paskal, who won multiple NATJA awards for her travel writing, is splitting her time by continuing her Toronto Star travel column and promoting her latest book, Global Warming: How Environmental, Economic, and Political Crisis Will Redraw the World Map (Palgrave Macmillan, January 2010) . . .
Peter Rose and his wife Hedy are spending the early part of the year as visiting scholars at Stanford. He’s also working on “Immigration, Nativism, and the Limits of Tolerance in Europe Today” in preparation for a symposium he organized and a journal issue on “Other Europes, Europe’s Others” . . .
Co-founder and president emeritus Dan Schlossberg cracked the pages of The History Channel Magazine for the first time with “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” in the January/February issue. His latest baseball book, The 300 Club: Last of a Breed, will be published in March by Ascend . . .
Mike Schuman will have a pair of young adult titles published in April: Adam Sandler: Celebrity at Heart and Angelina Jolie: Celebrity with Heart. He’s also penning books on Tina Fey (late 2010) and Scarlett Johansen (2011) . . .
Christine Tibbetts is narrowing the essence of Kathmandu, Nepal, and South India for a travel feature series and continuing coverage of destinations relative to the Civil War sesquicentennial. She is also organizing a cultural heritage exhibit about Peru, set for February debut, and sponsoring an indigenous Quechua woman to guide exhibition discussions in Tifton, Ga. Chris plans travel features in June on both sides of the Niagara, plus Quebec City in August.
MEMBERS! Share news about awards, books, jobs, degrees, speaking gigs, or other good tidings. E.mail dan@natja.org, fax 201-791-3349, or write Member News, The Wayfarer, 10 Ballard Place, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410-3601.
TRIPS FOR MEMBERS
Published on January 25, 2010
TRIPS FOR MEMBERS
Hot and cold climates vie for writers’ affections
ALASKA: Alyeska Resort, just 40 miles north of Anchorage, features 2,500 vertical feet of skiable terrain and the new Alyeska Pipeline Superpipe for advanced skiers and snowboarders. It measures 300 feet long and 55 feet wide, with walls 18 feet tall. Home of the longest continuous douoble-black-diamond ski run in North America, Alyeska is blessed with an average annual snowfall of 750 inches. That’s no typo! Media info comes from Sandy Chio (Tel. 907-754-2215, schio@alyeskaresort.com).
ARIZONA: The Boulders, a desert hideaway in Carefree, is bucking the restaurant chain trend. Its Latilla restaurant has reopened with new look, new menu, and new vibe while keeping its integrity and regional sense of place. The AAA four-diamond restaurant is one of seven places to dine at The Boulders,...
a resort with 160 geust casitas and 61 one, two, and three-bedroom villas. Wine dinners are scheduled for the months of February, April, and May. To sample, contact Debora Bridges of The Bridges Media Group (Tel. 602-466-2128, Db@bridgesmediagroup.com).
ASPEN: More than $140 million has been invested in the four-mountain resort of Aspen/Snowmass over the last six years. Mountains, culture, dining, and nightlife beckon both celebrities and leisure travelers. Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass are all under the same umbrella, with Jeff Hanle director of public relations for Aspen Skiing Company (Tel. 970-300-7022, jhanle@aspensnowmass.com).
BEVERLY HILLS: With six five-star hotels, Beverly Hills is a Southern California oasis that is both a luxury traveler’s paradise and the home of budget-friendly attractions and accommodations. Travel journalists are invited to visit Beverly Hills and experience the latest restaurants, art exhibits, and cultural attractions while staying in the city’s acclaimed hotels. To arrange a visit, contact Kimberli Partlow, communications manager, Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau , 239 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (Tel. 310-248-1015 x127, partlow@beverlyhillsbehere.com).
CALIFORNIA: Laguna Cliffs Resort & Spa is a 377-room resort overlooking Doheny Beach State Park and Dana Point Harbor, home of 2,500 yacht slips. The Victorian-style resort features a 14,000-square foot spa and proximity to major Orange County attractions. To learn more, contact Spence Johnston of BRAINtrust Marketing + Communications (Tel. 702-370-7838, spence@braintrustlv.com).
CANADA: Edmonton, Alberta is a mix of art, architecture, museums, and neighborhoods. The oldest cultural institution in the province, the world-class Art Gallery of Alberta, just relocated to a new building that local leaders are anxious to promote. To arrange a trip, contact Yael Baker at Ruder Finn, Inc. (Tel. 917-862-8147, bakery@ruderfinn.com).
CELEBRITY CRUISES: After winning first place in the mega-ship category of Conde Nast Traveler’s 2009 Reader’s Choice Awards, Celebrity Cruises is building five new ships at a cost of $3.7 billion, the largest new-build commitment for a single brand in industry history. It is also marking its 20th anniversary this year by launching Solstice Class service on its Millennium Class ships. That $200 million investment includes restyled staterooms, new color schemes in all public venues, and redesigned suites comparable to those found in European hotels. Tuscan Grille, a blend of Napa Valley and Italian steakhouse, has been added on both the Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox. Celebrity’s nine ships sail to Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New england, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, the Caribbean, and the Galapagos Islands. To learn more, contact Elizabeth Jakeway (Tel. 305-539-6127, ejakeway@celebritycruises.com) or Tavia Robb (Tel. 305-539-6721, trobb@celebritycruises.com).
CINCINNATI: April will be a big month in Cincinnati, where baseball opening day (April 5) is a big deal, the local flower show lasts a week (April 17-25), and Fountain Square events start their annual season. The Reds host the Civil Righths Game May 15 and their own Hall of Fame inductions July 17. To learn more, contact Ed McMasters, marketing manager, CincinnatiUSA.com - Regional Tourism Network, Inc., Suite 810, 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., Covington, KY 41011 (Tel. 859-581-2939, Fax 859-581-2871, emcmasters@staycincinnatiusa.com).
COSTA RICA FAM: Media are invited to discover the Green Dream at Playa Nicyesa Rainforest Lodge, an environmentally-sensitive, multi-sport lodge set on a 165-acre private preserve in the undeveloped Pacific Coast of southern Costa Rica. The solar-powered resort is offering 3-4 nights, meals, activities, and media-rate tickets on domestic flights to the lodge, located in a rainforest alive with more than 250 species of tropical birds amid a backdrop of lush vegetation. To make arrangements for a media member and guest, contact Sylvia Ahonen, Seasmoke PR (Tel. 250-590-3662, Sylvia@seasmokepr.com).
CURACAO: The largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao measures 38 miles long by from 2 to 7.5 miles wide. Its 140,000 residents represent 55 different cultures, including a thriving Jewish community that attends Mikve Israel-Emanuel, the oldest continually-operated synagogue in the Western Hemisphere (founded in 1651). With 80-degree weather, little rainfall, safe drinking water, and iguana meat reputed to be a powerful aphrodisiac, what’s not to like about the island home of baseball player Andruw Jones? Contact press rep Rachel McLennan, Hill & Knowlton, 909 Third Ave., NY, NY 10022 (Tel. 212-885-0597, Fax 212-885-0570, rachel.mclennan@hillandknowlton.com).
GEORGIA FAMs: Consider a press trip to Eagle Island Lodge, a vacation hideaway for nature lovers 10 minutes by boat from Darien, GA, a fishing village 60 miles south of Savannah. Located on an uninhabited 10-acre private island, the lodge is surrounded by wildlife and plants in their natural environment. Lodge owner Andy Hill provides round-trip transportation with each visit. A trip for print travel writers is slated for March 15-17, while another for Website Travel Journalists is planned for Oct. 12-14. Other FAMS are limited to female print journalists (April 5-7) and outdoor adventure writers (Nov. 2-4). Contact press rep Leigh Cort (Tel. 904-806-3613, leighcort@bellsouth.net).
HAWAII: The Fairmont Orchid, a 540-room property on the Kohala Coast in the northwest corner of the Big Island, turns 20 this year. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has 59 properties with more than 20 new ones in development. Contact Orchid press rep Jaisy Jardine (Tel. 808-887-7548, Fax 808-885-8886, Jaisy.Jardine@Fairmont.com).
ICELAND: With more clear days in January than July, now may be the time to visit the home of the Vikings. Winter is the best time to see the Aurora Borealis, also called the Northern Lights, and the 32-room Northern Light Inn is just 30 minutes from the capital of Reykjavik. That city has seven thermal pools, including the Blue Lagoon, and proximity to glaciers that cover 10 per cent of the country. Gullfoss, the Niagara Falls of Iceland, flows all winter and horseback riding excursions ruin year-round. Press reps are Einar Gusavsson of the Iceland Tourist Board (Tel. 212-885-9786, iceinar@goiceland.org) or Jeff Blumenfeld, Blumenfeld & Associates PR (Tel. 203-655-1600, jamie@blumenfeldpr.com).
MEXICO: New press contact has been established for Hotel Encanto, an ultra-chic boutique property that opened in Acapulco Nov. 28. The 44-suite haven, featuring extensive personal space for guests, overlooks the Puerto Marques Bay. To visit, contact Rose Rodrigues, Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications, Suite 1, 37 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960 (Tel. 845-358-3920 x12, rrodrigues@ciicnews.com).
MICRONESIA: Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of more than 586 islands with about 20,000 inhabitants. Blesssed with 1,400 species of fish and 500 species of coral, it is known as one of the world’s best dive destinations. Story possibilities range from World War II history to eco-tourism, romance, adventure, or swimming with jellyfish. To arrange a trip to one of the Underwater Wonders of the World, contact Molly Blaisdell, Hook, Line & Thinker PR, P.O. Box 6625, Moraga, CA 94570 (Tel. 925-388-0164, Cell 925-300-7252, Mocahill@aol.com).
NORTHERN ARIZONA FAM: Eight writers on assignment will be invited to join the Spring 2010 media tour slated for April 11-16. Participants will tour Williams, Page, Navajo Nation, and Hopi via the air gateway of Phoenix. The trip includes the Grand Canyon Railway, Lake Powell cruise, and visit to Monument Valley, one of the most photogenic spots on the planet. Air transportation, meals, attraction, and lodging are also included. Send credentials and story commitments to mediatours@azcomgroup.com.
ORIENT-EXPRESS: The world’s most famous express train, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, still symbolizes the Golden Age of Travel, with restored 1920s and 1930s carriages and itineraries, crossing Europe from Paris and Venice to Prague, Krakow, and Istanbul. A sister train, The Royal Scotsman, journeys to the Scottish Highlands while another, the Eastern & Oriental Express, operates from Singapore to Bangkok and back, crossing the newly-built Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos. See www.orient-express.com or contact press rep Anita Cotter at Geoffrey Weill Associates, 27 W. 24th St., NY, NY 10010 (Tel. 866-PR-WEILL, acotter@geoffreyweill.com).
PALM SPRINGS: More than $2 billion in new resort construction is planned through next year, with projects that include the $40 million ACE Hotel & Swim Club, a 4.5-acre property featuring classic mid-century desert style; the $150 million “The Show” entertainment complex at Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, and Spa; and the $500 million Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage. The region’s press rep is Mark Graves, director of communications, Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Authority, 70-100 Hwy 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (Tel. 760-969-1330, Fax 760-770-9001, mgraves@palmspringsusa.com).
PENNSYLVANIA: The proximity of the Poconos to the great population centers of the East works well in wild winter weather. In addition to skiing, recreational outlets range from tubing to snowshoeing and sleigh rides. Contact Alicia M. Quinn at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
(Tel. 570-421-5791, Alicia@poconos.org).
PERU: Titilaka Hotel, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, sits at 12,535 feet above sea level in the Central Andes between Peru and Bolivia. When the weather warms, the Andean Experience Co. offers visitors the chance to sail the highest navigable lake in the world. Guests can opt for one of 14 Lake View Suites or 14 different travel excursions. Contact Ann-Rebecca Laschever at Geoffrey Weill Associates (Tel. 866-PR-WEILL, arlaschever@geoffreyweill.com).
PHILADELPHIA: The National Museum of American Jewish History will be the newest member of Independence Mall when it opens this fall. The ultra-modern, five-story building, a block north of Independence Hall, tells the continuing story of Jewish achievement in America. The museum welcomes all people, inviting them to discover what they have in common with the Jewish experience in America and to explore the features that make this history distinctive. Press reps are Jay E. Nachman (Tel. 215-923-5978, jnachman@nmajh.org) or Ilana Blumenthal (Tel. 215-923-3811 x148, iblument@nmajh.org), National Museum of American Jewish History, Independence Mall East, 55 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
THE QUEEN MARY: After more than 70 years as an ocean liner and hotel, the Queen Mary has found herself listed as one of the ten Most Haunted Hotels in America. Rose Kennedy was a passenger during her first voyage in 1937, just a few years before Bob Hope gave his first USO show in the Queen’s Salon and Winston Churchill signed the D-Day invasion papers in his on-board suite. Used as a wartime troop carrier, the Queen Mary still holds the record for most people on board at one time: 16,683. Her Art Deco art collection, one of the world’s largest, matches her Art Deco architecture. The annual Art Deco Festival, held every Labor Day weekend, raises funds for preservation. To stay on the ship, now a hotel moored in Long Beach, contact Christopher Zappia, director of marketing, The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802 (Tel. 562-499-1701, Fax 562-432-7674, christopher.zappia@queenmary.com).
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.: The King and Prince Beach Resort is marking its 75th anniversary in 2010. Originally opened as a private dance club in 1935, the venerable resort has been restored to its original elegance, with regal parlors, a stately ballroom, and elaborate boardwalk, and palm gardens that hosted a myriad of outdoor events. A member of Historic Hotels of America, this property has been a safe haven for celebrities, dignitaries, and business travelers since it opened. To check it out, contact Leigh Cort Publicity, 4325 Blue Heron Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 (Tel. 904-806-3613, leighcort@bellsouth.net).
SWITZERLAND: Baur au Lac won the Commitment to Quality award in the Europe category from Leading Hotels of the World during its 2009 convention in Venice. Operated by the same family since 1844, the venerable Zurich property recently emerged from a $45 million facelift that converted 32 rooms into 22 suites, junior suites, and deluxe doubles. Media contact is Suzanne Meyers (Tel. 866-PR-WEILL, smeyers@geoffreyweill.com).
UTAH SKI FAMs: Ski Utah a Wellness trip slated for Feb. 22-25 and a Women’s trip for March 15-19. To reserve a spot, contact Jessica Kunzer, director of communications, Ski Utah (Tel. 801-433-2016, Cell 801-647-2510, jessica@skiutah.com).
VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is the first multi-cultural event planned to coincide with the Winter Games. The two-month festival, which began Jan. 22, features more than 600 performances and exhibits in 60 venues in Vancouver and Whistler. Tickets start as low as $5. To learn more, contact Carla Mont, travel media relations specialist, Tourism British Columbia, 12th floor, 510 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 3A8 (Tel. 604-660-1957, carla.mont@tourismbc.com).
VIRGINIA: A great escape in any season, Virginia’s winter options include cozy cabins and cottages, luxurious lodges, seaside retreats, historic homes, and more than 20 all-in-one resorts that range from waterparks to golf havens. Visitors can vacation at 3,200 in Mountain Laurel Lodge atop Warm Springs Mountain, noted for 50-mile views, or Miriam’s House, a three-bedroom historic Rappahannock County structure on a 328-acre green estate that conveys the feeling of a living in a private state park. Learn more from Tamra Talmade-Anderson, public relations director, Virginia Tourism Corporation (Tel. 804-545-5573, ttanderson@virginia.org).
WEST POINT, NY: The historic Thayer Hotel, built in 1926, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the only full-service hotels on the Hudson between the George Washington Bridge and Albany. Originally built for the U.S. Military Academy, it has hosted such famous names as Presidents John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower, actors George C. Scott and Gregory Peck, and the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. Call publicist Mary T. Prenon, Thompson & Bender (Tel. 914-762-1900, mary@thompson-bender.com).
YOSEMITE: Thinking ahead to summer? Yosemite National Park has spectacular views, trees, and waterfalls; the venerable Awhahnee Hotel; Half Dome; wildlife; and recreational pursuits that range from rafting and boating to hiking and goldpanning. To arrange a visit, contact Marc Gendron at the Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau (Tel. 559-326-2037, marcg@marcommpr.com,).
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